Wicked weather forces SoCal golf postponement
| Wednesday, Jun 03 2009 09:37 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Jun 04 2009 01:41 PM
Images
Felix Adamo / The Californian Garces golfers, from left, Stephen Harmer, Gunner Kirschenmann, and Riley Scott, listen as it is announced that CIF Southern Cal regional play at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA would be postponed until Thursday because of consistent lightening threats in the area. The decision was made after a four hour delay and five holes playe
Felix Adamo / The Californian Garces teammates Stephen Harmer and Gunner Kirschenmann,left, facing camera, engage in a little horseplay after it was announced that CIF Southern Cal regional play at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA would be postponed until Thursday because of consistent lightening threats in the area. The decision was made after a four hour delay and five holes played. At right ifs fellow Garces golfer Riley Scott and Liberty golfer Richard Gilkey is in the center .
Felix Adamo / The Californian Local high school golfers, from left, Pete Fernandez of Stockdale,Riley Scott of Garces, Manav Shah of Centennial, Gunner Kirschenmann and Stephen Harmer, both from Garces, react after a thunder and lightening display over the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA. After a four hour delay and five holes played, the CIF Southern Cal regional was postponed until Thursday because of consistent lightening threats in the area.
Felix Adamo / The Californian Garces teammates Stephen Harmer and Gunner Kirschenmann,left, facing camera, engage in a little horseplay after it was announced that CIF Southern Cal regional play at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA would be postponed until Thursday because of consistent lightening threats in the area. The decision was made after a four hour delay and five holes played. At right ifs fellow Garces golfer Riley Scott and Liberty golfer Richard Gilkey is in the center .
Felix Adamo / The Californian Garces golfers, from left, Stephen Harmer, Gunner Kirschenmann, and Riley Scott, listen as it is announced that CIF Southern Cal regional play at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA would be postponed until Thursday because of consistent lightening threats in the area. The decision was made after a four hour delay and five holes playe
Felix Adamo / The Californian Local high school golfers, from left, Pete Fernandez of Stockdale,Riley Scott of Garces, Manav Shah of Centennial, Gunner Kirschenmann and Stephen Harmer, both from Garces, react after a thunder and lightening display over the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA. After a four hour delay and five holes played, the CIF Southern Cal regional was postponed until Thursday because of consistent lightening threats in the area.
Felix Adamo / The Californian Hail covers the practice green at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, CA, site of the CIF Southern Cal regional. After a four hour delay and five holes played, the regional was postponed until Thursday.
MURRIETA -- Mother Nature would like to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with this, a freak Southern California lightning show and hailstorm.
Such was the way of things at the CIF Southern California Boys Golf Regional, scheduled for 18 holes Wednesday but only able to fit in about a third of that.
The tournament will resume at 9 a.m. today and, interruptions willing, conclude a few hours later. The top three teams and top six individuals not on those teams reach next week's state tournament.
Several locals were off to solid starts on their first five holes Wednesday, but when hail came at about 10 a.m. -- two hours after the start of play -- they were all carted back to the clubhouse.
Then they waited. And the lightning started. It didn't stop. It got closer. Clear skies to the south never seemed to move over the SCGA Golf Course, and the hail and pouring rain came back.
"I've never seen anything like this," Garces coach Keith Perkins said.
At about 2:10 p.m., some four hours after play was halted, officials announced that CIF executive director Marie Ishida gave the OK for the suspension of play.
So, instead of golf, the golfers spent the day watching the light show off the back deck of the clubhouse.
When they resume today, Centennial's Manav Shah will putt on the 15th green at 2-under-par, a score that might have been tied for the lead -- though not every scorecard was tabulated.
"I'm kind of anxious to get back out there," Shah said. "I really wanted to finish today. Now I've to hold everything in till tomorrow."
Stephen Harmer led three Garces players at even par through his five holes. Stockdale's Pete Fernandez -- the only local to make it through the regional last year -- was at 1-over, as was sophomore teammate Bryce Keene.
"Same thing tomorrow," Shah said. "Just play 13 holes instead of 18."
